Gas Grill Burner Cleaning and Repair

This article should help you through the majority of possible gas grill burner problems. At
any time if these cleaning procedures did not work, or if the burner has rusted
through, replacement
is necessary.

The burner is the "guts" of your grill. But over time, the combination of
high heat, salts, fats, and basting solutions that fall on it will cause it to
fail.

Now you must perform the dirty job of removing the cooking
grids, briquettes/rocks,
grate, and finally the burner from the grill. So lets get to it!

Get ready to take the "guts" out of your gas grill...

Spread
some newspaper to lay the gas grill parts on.

Remove
and set the cooking grids
on this paper.

Move
the briquettes towards
the center and away from the edges of the coal grate. This
way you can lift the grate and lava rock or briquettes out
together and set it on the newspaper

Remove the burner. The burner may or may not be locked to the bottom housing.
If not, simply pull the venturi tubes away from the valves
and gas jets (also called orifices) and lift out.
If the burner is secured, look for a spring dip, cotter pin,
or a stud with a wing nut holding the burner to the bottom.

If your grill is equipped with an ignitor
and collector box attached to the burner, the wire must
be also disconnected before burner removal.

Cleaning and troubleshooting your Venturi...

The venturi tube on your gas grill mixes air with the propane to
allow proper combustion.

It is extremely important to clean the venturi tubes of any
obstructions such as spider webs, etc. If possible, do this at the start of the grilling season or any other time
the grill has not been used for a while. Even a small spider web can restrict
the air/gas mixture and cause poor burner performance or
a flash-back fire.

A venturi brush (also called a "spider" brush) should be used to clean the venturi tubes. Special care should be taken to make sure the brush
passes through any curve in the venturi tube.

You may also flush out the tubes with a strong flow of water from a garden hose.
While you are doing this, pay
attention to how the water exits the burner port holes as clogged holes (as well
as other leaks) are easily spotted this way!

If the venturi tubes are rusted and/or broken, you will need either new tubes or a new burner, depending on the assembly of the two
and how the manufacturer sells replacement parts.

Cleaning and Troubleshooting Your Gas Grill Burner

Clogged holes in your burner can cause your grill to have hot and cold spots, which not only make it difficult to cook evenly,
but can be dramatic enough that they may increase the chance of a shattering
your grill's glass window! Follow these troubleshooting steps:

Check
out the burner's gas outlet ports around it's perimeter
for splits or separations of the top and bottom
halves. A burner damaged this bad needs replacement,
if no obvious external damage is present you can
continue to clean the grill

Brush
the outer parts of the burner with a wire
brush, especially the ports

Using
a flexible wire, an open paper clip, or a drill
bit, probe each port to clear it of grime and rust.

Caution: Do not use anything larger
in diameter that the port itself, this will cause
damage to the burning operations of your grill

Now, lightly tap the burner, this will help cause any
of the residue to fall out of the ports and tubes

Too many excessively obstructed ports, or ports that are showing damage
indicate that it's time to replace the
burner. But if you can clear the ports and the previous inspection and cleaning processes did not indicate
burner failure, we can continue:

Check
the gas jets at the end of the valves for spider
webs, dirt, or dust. Clean them if necessary

Assuming that the valves
are turning and you have gas, the burner should
be reinstalled into your grill and tested to see
if the cleaning process helped.

While you have the bottom of the aluminum casting
exposed, take the opportunity to clean it the best
you can by removing any gunk out with a putty knife,
garden tool, etc.

Replacing your burner...

So your burner needs replacement? Before
you throw it away, you need to do a few
things:

Measure
it from left to right, front to back.

Look
for the label that is required by the American Gas
Association that will list the model number, manufacturer,
and the type of gas specified for use
This label should be near the controls, or on
the cart... not on the burner itself.

The
venturi tubes should also be measured if you cannot
find the label information. If the venturi tube has a bent mixer or a slope
in it, then measure from the top to the center line
of the tube, after the bend, and from the end to
the center line of the tube. If dealing with a straight
tube, just measure from top to bottom

In addition to stainless steel burners, you should consider buying "better than original" cast iron burners. Cast iron
burners heat up and become their own heat radiant source, cooking your food better. They also have a longer life span
than stainless steel burners because of their heavy construction.

About the author:
Appliance Factory Parts is a
one-stop shop for your grill needs. They have parts for 12,000 BBQ models
and 40,000 BBQ parts, including gas grill burners, grids, and grates